Whether you're a diehard recycler who shops with canvas bags
and keeps a compost bin in the corner of your backyard, or a busy
parent looking for some quick tips on sorting glass from plastic,
it's easy to get your family on the path to greener living.
But the best earth-friendly practices require the cooperation of
everyone in the household. So, how do parents get kids invested in
recycling, reusing, reducing, and the other basics of environmental
responsibility?
As with most good habits, the best way to teach them is to be a
good role model yourself. By showing that you care about and
respect the environment, your kids will do the same.
It's a Family Affair
Here are some suggestions you can try as a family:
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Teach respect for the outdoors.
This can start in your own backyard. Help kids plant a garden or
tree. Set up bird feeders, a birdbath, and birdhouses. Kids can
clean out and refill the bath daily, and clean up seed debris
around feeders and restock them.
On a larger scale, you can plan family vacations that focus on
the great outdoors. Maybe a summer trip to the Grand Canyon or
Yellowstone Park appeals to your adventurous clan. Shorter trips
might include a day at a state or national park. Even a
couple days at the beach can offer plenty of opportunities for
you to point out and discuss the plants and animals you see and
why it's important to protect their habitats.
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Recycle.
Recycling is easy, and in some communities, mandatory. Check with
your local recycling office and be sure you know all the rules.
Some communities allow co-mingling ― all recyclables can be
placed in one container ― while others require sorting into
separate containers. You may need bins for each type of
recyclable: One for plastic, one for glass, one for paper, and
one for cans. Kids can sort (and rinse, if necessary) items,
place them in the correct bins, and take the containers out to
the curb for collection. After the bins have been emptied, ask
your kids to rinse them out (if they're dirty) and bring them
back into the house or garage.
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Drink your own water.
Bottled water is expensive and, experts say, not any cleaner or
safer than tap water. In fact, much bottled water is actually tap
water that has been filtered. The water that comes out of home
spigots in the United States is extremely safe. Municipal water
supplies are monitored constantly and the test results made
public. And unless they're recycled, the plastic bottles ―
most commonly made from polyethylene terepthalate (PET), which is
derived from crude oil ― can end up in landfills. So have your
kids tote water from the tap (you can add a filter to improve its
taste) in reusable bottles.
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Clean green.
Many natural products can replace commercial - and possibly
hazardous - cleaning preparations. Just a few examples: to
deodorize carpets, sprinkle them with baking soda, wait 15
minutes and then vacuum; use vinegar and baking soda for
everything from oven cleaning and drain clearing to stain removal
and metal polishing. Lots of websites offer green cleaning tips,
and many stores carry pre-made nontoxic cleaners for those who
don't want to make their own.
-
Lend a hand.
Many communities sponsor green activities, like pitching in to
help clean up a local park or playground. Maybe the area around
your child's school could use sprucing up.
Getting Kids to "Go Green"
In their own day-to-day activities, encourage kids to find ways
to limit waste, cut down on electricity, avoid unnecessary
purchases, and reuse items that they already have. Here's
how:
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Conserve energy.
Remind kids to turn off lights when they're not in use, power
down computers, turn off the TV when nobody's watching, and
resist lingering in front of the refrigerator with the door
open.
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Hoof it.
If kids can safely ride a bike or walk to school or to visit
friends rather than catch a ride from parents, encourage it! Or
if safety is a concern, consider organizing a "walking
school bus" ― this activity allows kids to walk or bike to
and from school under the supervision of an adult.
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Let there be (more) light.
Older kids can help replace regular light bulbs with
energy-efficient ones. Compact fluorescent light bulbs provide
about the same light output as incandescent bulbs, but last much
longer and use a fraction of the energy.
-
Reuse and recharge.
Buy rechargeable batteries for your kids' electronics and
toys and teach them how to care for and recharge them. This
reduces garbage and keeps toxic metals, like mercury, out of
landfills.
-
Pass it on.
Ask kids to gather toys, books, clothes, and other goods that
they no longer use or want for donation to local charities. Have
them ride along for the drop-off so they can see how groups such
as Goodwill and the Salvation Army use donations to help
others.
These tips are just some ways to get your family to become more
earth-friendly. Once you get everyone on board with conservation,
challenge your kids to come up with new and interesting ways of
going green.
Can your grade-schoolers cut back on the amount of paper they
print from the Internet? How about your teens: Can they agree to
take shorter showers?
Engaging your kids in this way will get them to start thinking
about how their individual efforts affect the world they live in,
and how little changes can ― and will ― make a difference.
Reviewed by:
Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: December 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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